1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a storage system for a vehicle spare tire. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stiffening plate for use in a storage system for a spare tire of a vehicle having a rearwardly located storage area, the storage system including a storage tub located below the floor of the vehicle and a cover for this tub.
2. Discussion
Automotive vehicles, such as minivans, vans, station wagons, sport utilities and the like, are often purchased for their carrying capacity. These types of vehicles typically include a rear storage area accessible via a lift gate or tail gate. The aforementioned vehicles typically are not provided with a trunk, and packaging issues frequently arise concerning storage of the spare tire. Frequently, the spare tire is mounted in an upright position within the rearward storage area and adjacent one of the vehicle side walls. However, this type of storage significantly impacts the carrying capacity of the vehicle and reduces visibility.
It is also known to mount the spare tire to the underside of the vehicle body. Here, access to the spare tire is difficult. In other arrangements, the spare tire is mounted to the lift gate or on a swing gate positioned adjacent the lift gate. Such arrangements are disadvantageous in that additional weight is carried by the lift gate or the swing gate must be moved out of the way before access to the lift gate may be obtained.
It is also known to store the spare tire within a storage compartment or tub provided below the vehicle's floor. A cover is typically provided for concealing the tub. A vehicle spare tire system having a reinforced cover is disclosed in United States application Ser. No. 08/939,924, titled "Vehicle Spare Tire Storage System Having a Reinforced Cover," owned by common assignee Chrysler Corporation, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Such storage systems by their nature typically are a source of low frequency NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) in the vehicle, such as "boom," a low frequency noise phenomenon associated with such systems.